India's 'Womanifesto:' How central are women's rights to this year's elections?

By Monica Sarkar, for CNN

Updated 12:26 PM ET, Fri May 16, 2014

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India's election: The largest in history – India's next prime minister, Narendra Modi, greets supporters at his mother's home in Gandhinagar on Friday, May 16. Modi is the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. After a five-week-long election, the BJP swept the ruling Indian National Congress from power. Official results were expected later Friday.

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India's election: The largest in history – BJP supporters dance and set off firecrackers at the news of election results in Allahabad on May 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – Supporters celebrate the opposition's victory in early preliminary results in Guwahati on May 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – Sonia Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress, addresses reporters May 16 outside party headquarters in New Delhi, with her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi at her side. Rahul Gandhi said he took responsibility for the defeat of the Congress party, which had dominated Indian politics since the nation's independence in 1947.

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India's election: The largest in history – Hiraben Modi, 90, blesses her son Narendra, who becomes India's next prime minister, at her home in Gandhinagar on May 16. Analysts predict his arrival in India's top office will bring a marked change in direction for the world's most populous democracy.

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India's election: The largest in history – A family follows election results on TV in Guwahati on May 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – A Hindu holy man passes a line of people after voting at a polling station Monday, May 12, in Varanasi during the ninth and final phase of elections.

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India's election: The largest in history – An Indian Muslim woman waits in line to vote at a polling station in Varanasi on May 12.

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India's election: The largest in history – Election workers prepare to seal an electronic voting machine after the final polls closed on May 12 in Varanasi.

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India's election: The largest in history – The Indian National Congress party's Rahul Gandhi, center, waves to supporters at a rally in Varanasi on Saturday, May 10, the final day of campaigning in India's national election. There are 814 million eligible voters in India, making this the largest election in world history.

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India's election: The largest in history – A family on a motorcycle passes Indian National Congress supporters in Varanasi on May 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – Former TV journalist Ashutosh and actor Jaaved Jaffrey, who are Aam Aadmi Party parliamentary candidates, help campaign for party leader Arvind Kejriwal in Varanasi. Kejriwal established the party in response to the anti-corruption protests in 2011-12, and the party had a surprise showing in the 2013 local elections for the Delhi Assembly.

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India's election: The largest in history – Trinamool Congress Chairwoman Mamata Banerjee, with microphone, campaigns for Jadavpur TMC candidate Sugata Bose, left, and South Kolkata candidate Subrata Bakshi, center, with Mithun Chakraborty on May 10 in Kolkata.

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India's election: The largest in history – Election workers in Leh check voting machines on Tuesday, May 6.

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India's election: The largest in history – Election officers rest between parked trucks before proceeding to their polling stations May 6 in Allahabad, India.

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India's election: The largest in history – A cow approaches electronic voting machines in Allahabad on May 6.

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India's election: The largest in history – Supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) walk with party flags during an election campaign in Kolkata on Sunday, May 4.

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India's election: The largest in history – Women and children attend an election rally in Amethi, India, on Saturday, May 3.

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India's election: The largest in history – A police officer patrols during curfew in the Maisuma locality of Srinagar, India, on Friday, May 2.

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India's election: The largest in history – A Kashmiri Muslim woman confronts Indian police after they arrested a youth during a protest in Srinagar on May 2.

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India's election: The largest in history – An Indian soldier stands in the middle of an empty Srinagar street Wednesday, April 30, following calls by rebels and separatist politicians to boycott the parliamentary elections.

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India's election: The largest in history – A soldier helps voters locate their polling station in the village of Sultanwind, near Amritsar, India, on April 30.

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India's election: The largest in history – Election officials distribute electronic voting machines and other material to polling officials in Howrah, India, on Tuesday, April 29.

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India's election: The largest in history – Police conduct a security check Monday, April 28, before voting in Srinagar.

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India's election: The largest in history – A supporter listens to Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati during an election rally in Allahabad on Sunday, April 27.

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India's election: The largest in history – Kashmiri Muslims watch from a window as an Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard near the site of an explosion near the venue where an election campaign rally was to take place in downtown Srinagar on April 27.

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India's election: The largest in history – Sumaira Wani, wife of Zia-Ul-Haq, mourns by the body of her husband during his funeral in Hirpora, some 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Srinagar on Friday, April 25. Zia, an Indian poll official, was killed soon after voting in the ongoing election, when suspected rebels fatally shot him and wounded four others in an attack on a bus in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

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India's election: The largest in history – Unidentified relatives cry during the funeral procession of Zia-Ul-Haq in Hirpora on April 25.

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India's election: The largest in history – An Indian Punjab State Police officer stands in front of a picture of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during an election rally by the two men April 25 in Bathinda, India.

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India's election: The largest in history – Indian women cast their vote at a village near Sawai Madhopur, India, on Thursday, April 24.

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India's election: The largest in history – An Indian woman gives her thumb impression before casting her vote in a village near Sawai Madhopur on April 24.

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India's election: The largest in history – A polling official carries electronic voting machines at a distribution center in Gauhati, India, on Wednesday, April 23.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman casts her vote on the outskirts of Jaipur, India, on Thursday, April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – An elderly man casts his vote inside a polling station in Amroha, India, on April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – A supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party shouts slogans during an election campaign rally on the outskirts of Srinagar on April 17. Several separatist organizations have jointly appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to boycott the Indian parliamentary elections.

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India's election: The largest in history – A helicopter carrying Nagma, a Bollywood actress and Congress Party candidate from Meerut, takes off after an election rally on April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – Women arrive to vote at a polling station on April 17, in the desert state of Rajasthan.

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India's election: The largest in history – People stand in line to cast their votes in Jaipur on April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – A voter casts her ballot at a polling booth in Doda, India, on April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – An Indian election official marks the finger of a voter with ink before she casts her ballot in Sambhar, India, on April 17.

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India's election: The largest in history – An election official checks an electronic voting machine before taking it to polling stations at a distribution center in Siliguri, India, on Wednesday, April 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – An election official carries an electronic voting machine across a makeshift bridge after picking it up from a distribution center in Doda on April 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – Portraits of Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, left, and Vice President Rahul Gandhi are seen at an election rally in Karimnagar, India, on April 16.

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India's election: The largest in history – Security personnel load their luggage on a bus as they leave for various polling centers in Udhampur, India, on Tuesday, April 15.

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India's election: The largest in history – A young girl watches an election campaign rally from her house in Rawalpora, India, on April 15.

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India's election: The largest in history – Supporters of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party dance during a campaign rally in Udhampur on April 15.

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India's election: The largest in history – A worker arranges masks of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Narendra Modi at a printing press in Ahmedabad, India, on Saturday, April 12.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman carries her child and waits for her identity to be checked before voting in Diphu, India, on April 12.

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India's election: The largest in history – Rahul Gandhi, one of the leading candidates for prime minister, waves to supporters in Amethi, India, as he arrives to file his nomination on April 12.

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India's election: The largest in history – Congress Party supporters hold flags as they walk home from a Gandhi rally April 12 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

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India's election: The largest in history – Gaurav Shrinivas Sharma, a climber nicknamed Indian Spiderman, campaigns in Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 11. Sharma is an independent candidate from the South Mumbai constituency.

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India's election: The largest in history – People in Doda wave as a helicopter carrying Gandhi leaves after a campaign rally on April 11.

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India's election: The largest in history – Indian Muslims wait outside a polling booth to cast their votes on Thursday, April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – A paramilitary soldier stands guard inside a room containing ballot boxes on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman casts her vote in Muzaffarnagar, India, on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – Voters wait for their identities to be verified before casting their ballots April 10 in Haryana, India.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman points out her photo before casting her vote in New Delhi on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – Jyoti Amge, a first-time voter and the world's shortest woman according to Guinness World Records, gets her finger marked with ink after voting in Nagpur, India, on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman is given directions by a polling station officer in Haryana on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – Voters leave a polling station in Muzaffarnagar on April 10.

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India's election: The largest in history – A polling officer checks the number of an electronic voting machine after it was deposited in Senapati, India, on Wednesday, April 9.

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India's election: The largest in history – A polling official marks a voter's finger with ink in Senapati on April 9.

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India's election: The largest in history – An elderly man casts his vote in Manipur, India, on April 9.

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India's election: The largest in history – An official checks a voter's identity card in Agartala, India, on Monday, April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – People wait in lines to cast their votes in Agartala on April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – An election official checks the identity of a voter on April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – A woman with a baby casts her vote inside a polling center at Misamora Sapori, an island in the Brahmaputra River, on April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – Rahul Gandhi addresses supporters during an election rally in Bangalore, India, on April 7. Gandhi's great-grandfather, grandmother and father have all served as prime minister.

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India's election: The largest in history – Running against Gandhi is Narendra Modi, chief minister of the western state of Gujarat with a reputation as a tough, "can-do" administrator.

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India's election: The largest in history – Indians in Dibrugarh stand in a line to cast their vote on April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – An election officer uses ink to mark a voter's finger at a polling station in Dibrugarh on April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – A polling officer in Agartala looks for a voter's name in the registered voter list April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – A polling official in Dibrugarh tests an electronic voting machine prior to the start of voting April 7.

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India's election: The largest in history – People wait in line to cast their votes during the first phase of voting in Dibrugarh.

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India's election: The largest in history – Women voters wait outside a polling station in Dibrugarh on April 7.

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Story highlights

A recent poll finds most Indians see combating violence against women as a political priority

The three main parties in India's general elections have pledged to support women's rights

The gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in December 2012 marked a sharp turning point for the debate on women's rights in India. The protests that exploded nationwide following the incident brought the issue forcefully to the political table in a way that revealed the power of the Indian masses, according to a prominent advocate for women's rights.

"As women in India, we grow up with constraints; and live with a degree of discrimination and assault," says Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, adding that privileged women, who have a significant amount of power, have to deal with it a lot less.

"But when thousands of people came out onto the streets and walked in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, I think it became clear to me that none of us have to deal with this anymore -- that people around the country are standing with us and saying 'enough.'"

That sentiment is shared by the majority of Indians taking part in the country's general election this month, according to a recent public opinion poll.

More than 90% of Indian voters see the combating of violence against women as a priority, second only to corruption, the MDRA/Avaaz survey released last week shows.

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According to the poll, 75% of men and women participating in the largest democratic event in history also believe that the political promises made to advocate women's rights have been inadequate so far.

"The electoral process is a very important time to hold parties to account and to make it clear that politicians will lose their seats if they don't truly represent the aspirations of the people," says Nundy. "Politicians need to respond to that."

So what are some of the main promises being made by the leading election contenders?

The three main parties cite similar goals, including enacting the Women's Reservation Bill, which would allocate a third of seats in parliament and state legislatures for women, as well as enforcing fast-track courts -- the same process used to convict the accused men in the gang rape case.

The ruling Indian National Congress party, which has been in power for 49 years and is led by Sonia Gandhi, claims it will ensure at least 25% of staff at all police stations are female.

The main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi, released its manifesto on the first day of the polls and says women's security is its focus.

The recently formed Aam Adme Party (AAP or "Common Man" party), born out of a desire to eliminate corruption, enjoyed an astonishing victory in Delhi in the local assembly elections last year. During a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday, the party's leader and former activist Arvind Kejriwal said women's safety is the "biggest issue which has come to the forefront" and promised it would be high on the party's agenda.

But how convincing are these pledges?

"There have always been throwaway, ad hoc references to realizing women's rights in manifestos in the past," says Nundy. "In this election we see an increase in parties addressing those rights. They're addressing them more frequently but the approach is still ad hoc."

The outcry after the gang rape in Delhi did instigate some change, says Nundy.For instance, under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, stalking and voyeurism have become offenses and it is now possible to file a criminal complaint against a police officer.

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"But it's not enough," Nundy says. For example, "marital rape is still not criminalized, it's still explicitly legal. (The law) says it's rape unless the parties are married."

Dissatisfied with the government's efforts, NGOs, women's movements, journalists, economists, academics and lawyers are promoting their "Womanifesto:" A six-point plan,first drafted last year, that details what needs to be done within the next five years to improve conditions for India's women and girls.

The six points are: Educate for equality; make laws count; put women in power; appoint police for the people; enact swift, certain justice; and ensure a flourishing economy.

Nundy, co-founder of the plan, received early confirmation from AAP party leader Kejriwal to commit to the charter. However, the Congress and the BJP are yet to agree.

Another motivation for the Womanifesto was to spell out the process in which women's issues should be tackled.

Co-contributor Kavita Krishnan, who is also secretary of the AIPWA (All India Progressive Women Association) and national leader of the Communist Party of India (CPIML) says political parties end up "moral policing women in the name of protecting them" by imposing dress codes or punishing couples for being intimate in public.

Although the mass protests following the Delhi gang rape spurred change, Krishnan argues that the focus of the outcry needs to shift: "Among the protesters there was still a large number that demanded the death penalty for rapists and little else -- and it is this sentiment that parties tend to play to, pushing patriarchal protectionism rather than women's equality and rights."

Nundy says a drawback in India is action: "The problem with India is not that we have bad laws; I mean, the laws aren't perfect at all, but the problem is that they aren't implemented."

Another major challenge for the Indian government is the country's 1.2 billion population, with richly diverse religious and cultural practices. Some, such as infanticide and dowry customs, are oppressive for women. So how can any plan accommodate the entire country?

Referring to the Womanifesto, Nundy says: "There would be local discussions about this. This is one page. It can't be the same plan for everyone; India's too big a country. Breaking down (the plan) for local practices and customs would be required."

Priya Nanda, group director at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), adds: "Civil society needs to help the government. For certain areas, even the government doesn't have the skills.

"It's not just about running out there and delivering a service or a product. You're building perspectives, trying to change norms and attitudes, so it takes time to do that."